Not sure what to do with these items I inherited!

ok, so I inherited a whole craft/quilting room.. a lot of things are older items... Here are a couple I have questions about.... One is of these little bobbin type things.. they are filled with some sort of thread and the "bobbin" is paper... What is this exactly? ... the other are the iron on's... are these to old to use? After awhile do they need to be thrown away... I would say these are really old, but not to sure! Thanks for your help!

Aunt Martha's transfers are sold currently. Not sure if there is a 'shelf life' on those....try ironing on something to see? If you're into embroidery? The others...hard to tell from the photos. Maybe some type of embroidery thread/ribbon?

Don't know about the iron on transfers, I would say give them a try. The bobbins and spools again don't know what they were used for, but I inherited some of the wooden spools with thread and I just display them in an old mason jar. They look colorful and work well in my sewing room.

The 'Iron ons" look like they're for embroidery, which I don't do, so I may be way off base with my suggestion. I suggest trying at least one of the "iron ons" as is to find out if they are still useful as "iron ons". If not, and you like some of the patterns, scan them into your computer and, if you decide to use them can either trace them or print them on iron on fabric. If you have a sewing machine that does embroidery from a pattern, can these patterns be digitized and used that way?

Spools of thread - looks like you have quite a few threads with wooden spools. Test the thread by seeing how easily it breaks. I'm told that it's no good if it breaks easily. The spools themselves might be worth something to a collector or a crafter!

Bobbin thread - What size are the bobbins? I know that size "M" bobbins are made and sold for long arms, so that's a possibility. Again, their usefulness is probably dependent on their age.

Perhaps other, more knowledgable folks on this board can give you better info. At the very least you have some history in your possession!

The iron on transfers are going for $3 to $5 plus shipping on ebay.
the paper bobbins, are prewound bobbins. Some machines will work with them, some won't. Need to check the strength of the thread. If the thread on the bobbin is OK, but it won't work in your machine, you can use it on the top for piecing or sewing, just like a small spool of thread.

"I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to."
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings